Mike's Bloggity Blog

So this is weird timing… Only hours after I wrote about my fears of losing MTV Canada’s Aliya Jasmine to an American network, Calgary-native Jessi Cruickshank has just announced that she is in fact leaving MTV Canada for a job in the USA.

Was it something I said?

Cruickshank took to her twitter account to make the big anncouncement:

“The rumours are true. After 4 years, 102+ After Shows and many a questionable outfit, I am moving to LA for a job opportunity there…I promise not to get 10 plastic surgeries and that I will be on your TVs again in Canada very soon! Keep following for updates and above all.”

No announcement on what the job will be, but other Canadian VJs have made the move down south with relative success.  Most notably, MuchMusic’s Rachel Perry who is essentially the voice of VHI.

Hopefully Jessi’s this will be mean that MTV will be hiring some fresh talent too!  With the exception of Paul The Intern, the network hasn’t hired a single new personality since its inception

(Story via Out Is Through)

Dear Americans,

It has been a while! How is it going? Things are good here too, you know, keeping busy.
Anyway, I just heard that LOGO has just picked up MTV Canada’s 1 Girl, 5 Gays and will start airing the show in October. That’s great news. I admittley have some problems with the show, but you will definitely love it. It’s funny, crazy and sometimes pretty frustrating.  I guess it is kinda that you americans.  I kid, I kid.

Anyway, I won’t keep you long, I just wanted to make sure you understood one thing: You can’t have Alija-Jasmine. Some know her simply has AJ, but either way, you can’t have her. She is one of Canada’s coolest journalists and I know the second you see her host 1 Girl, 5 Gays, you are going to want to snatch her up and keep her for yourselves and that simply can’t happen. Even you do offer her something and she accepts, I will hold you, america, solely responsible.

However, if you want a list of media personalities you can take, just let me know, it is quite  an extensive list and may or may not include the entire on-air team of Etalk.

So I do hope you enjoy 1 Girl, 5 Gays as much as we have.  It is hard to believe it has only been on air for one year.  But remember what I said, if you come even close to AJ, I will…..well, I’ll be pretty passive-aggresive about my anger, but you’ll feel it.  Or at least read about it.

Ciao,

Mike

Later on tonight the very last episode of MTV’s The Hills will air.  Even sadder, it will also mark the end of The Hills Aftershow, which has easily become of of this country’s biggest exports.

When the Aftershow started, it was only meant to be on on MTV Canada. But because of its immense popularity of the show’s fantastic hosts Dan and Jessi, the show soon became a staple on the american version of MTV.  The stars of both the Hills and The City regularly flocked to the Aftershow to plead their cases or spread more gossip. And Canadians ate it up!

So since The Hills is finally off the air, it doesn’t make much sense to still have the Aftershow.

So let’s take a moment to look back at The Aftershow shall we?

There has always been a ton of stories about how much the cast members have physically changed (ahem Heidi), but what about the Aftershow hosts?  While I think they’ve avoided the plastic surgery knife (so far), you can definitely see that Jessi and Dan haven’t been untouched by their rise to fame.

Somewhere after the show’s first episode when the hosts looked this:

….they ended up looking like this!

Not too shabby if you ask me!  Watching the first episode, you would have never though that Jessi and Dan would have become the Canadian fashion icons they are now!

But it wasn’t just about the fashion. Besides always getting the Hills scoop, the After Show became popular for its famous remixes. There are a lot to choose from, but this one is definitely one of my favourites:

Thanks for the great times After Show, I seriously can’t wait to see what Jessi and Dan do next!

On tonight’s episode of MTV’s The City, you’ll see none other than Canadian pop-star Lights and her equally famous manager Jian Ghomeshi.  Now before all you hipsters start thinking that Ghomeshi sold out to the fake-reality show, let me explain why, whether you know it or not, Jian Ghomeshi is smarter than you.

#1.  He uses his well documented friendship with Kelly Cutrone to get Lights on the City. This is amazing exposure for the the Canadian singer, who will benefit greatly from her increased profile.  And since her music is targeted for the same demos, she is a perfect fit.

#2 During his scene on the show, Jian keeps his credibility in tact by saying cool this like: “Its gotta feel more rock and roll.”  And if you can say that while wearing a scarf, then you  have to be really cool.

#3 Then, even though Lights is on Whitney’s show, she doesn’t even wear any of her clothes.  If she had, she probably would have been accused of selling out for the exposure.  But because she didn’t, she and Jian actually  just got off the free exposure train.  Next stop?  The Itunes singles chart.

Well done Jian.  Feel like taking on a blogger?

If I was ever going to interview someone and expect them to be absolutely dreadful, it’d probably have been Kristin Cavallari. The star of MTV Canada’s The Hills (and previously of Laguna Beach) prides herself on her reputation for being a bitch–and quite frankly, I was terrified to chat with her.

But then the strangest thing happened: she ended up being one of the nicest, coolest interviews I’ve ever done. No, she’s never going to win a Nobel Peace Prize, and yes, she’s one of those Hollywood stars who’s famous just for being famous–but she’s also honest about it. And that’s the thing about Cavallari: she’s honest about pretty much everything. She could have been affected, rude, and snotty, yet she was the complete opposite. While this might come as a disappointed to some of Kristin’s biggest fans, it was a pleasant surprise for me.

With only a few episodes of The Hills left to air, I had the chance to chat with Kristin while she was in Toronto.  We met at The Fifth Social Club where it seemed that no topic was off-limits. She openly talked about the show’s storylines, who was to blame for the rumors of her drug use, and why she has her eye on Justin Bieber.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but one of the reasons you came back to reality t.v. was to help your acting career, right?
KC: Yeah, that is one of them. I have done five movies and a few more on the way and it was a way of getting my fans excited about me again. It has been very nice having a steady job: half the time in the entertainment business you never know when you are going to have another job. That was a really big thing for me. I just thought it would be a cool experience.

So with only a few episodes left, do you think you’ve done what you came back to do?
KC: I think so, yeah. I wanted to make a statement by coming back. I didn’t want to just slip in and no one talk about it. The whole point about coming back was to make it a big deal. So I think I succeeded in that. I also think that my first season on The Hills, they didn’t necessarily film me in a great light, but I think this season they are really showing more sides of my personality and I think we are going to end on a high note!

Are you happy with the bitch label that MTV uses in the promos for The Hills?
KC: They asked me if I was okay with it and I said absolutely. I mean it is a TV show, let’s go for it. Let’s have fun with it. It is more fun to be the villain.

You’ve been honest about the fact that The Hills isn’t necessarily real and it has created story lines; how do you contribute to that?
KC: I look at it like my job. Laguna Beach was different because that was my life. Stephen was boyfriend and when emotions get involved it gets tricky. So when I decided to do The Hills, I look at it like my job, so I didn’t get emotional about things. I go to work and do my thing and leave that there and I have my private life and my real friends.

Are you happy with how you’ve been portrayed?
KC: Yes, I think that my personality does come through. It is interesting because if there were no cameras, I wouldn’t be friends with half of these people and I wouldn’t be doing the things I’m doing. There are certain things that you know are going to be on. When the whole Allie thing started, I knew that was going to be on TV.

At the beginning of the season there were rumors of you doing drugs. On the show it was implied that those rumors were started by Stephanie and Lo, but on Twitter it seemed otherwise.
KC: Stephanie did not start those rumors, Lo did not start those rumors. I think MTV started those rumors. 110%. I would never accuse someone else of doing drugs on camera. I just would never do that. You can have a producer asking you to do something, but there is a fine line of where you draw the line for yourself or not. I think of myself on the show as Kristin the character and if If I can’t justify it as my character, then I won’t do it. I wouldn’t do something just because a producers tells me to….well, that’s not true.

How was the reaction to that story with your family?
KC: Yeah, that was the hardest part. I mean my friends and family know that it is a show. But having to deal with that publicly really sucked. And MTV didn’t have my back whatsoever, of course, because it is better ratings for them. It was definitely really difficult time for me.

How do you find people really just want to be your friends?
KC: It is always a huge red flag when a guy or girl wants to be on the show.

If The Hills is about your life, how do you separate what is real and what isn’t?
KC: I have a very private life. It would be extremely difficult for me to put a real relationship on the show. I think it ruined my relationship with Stephen. I don’t have any of my real friends on the show. Justin and Audrina are a perfect example of how the show can ruin a relationship. Even Brody and Mikaela. He started dating this girl and they brought her on to the show and then she got crazy.

But not as crazy as Allie Lutz!
KC: I’ve known Alli for almost ten years now. We’ve never liked each other. And six years ago when I was dating Brody, she broke into his house in the middle of the night. But I don’t have an issue with Mikala.

Was Allie coming on the show a surprise to you?
KC: Absolutely.

Is it weird that Mikaela and Allie Lutz have been filming their own scenes?
KC: I think it has been great for the show, I think it is very interesting. I think Brody would be more upset than anyone else, because he was dating her and she came on the show and now she has her own story lines.

Do you ever think about what would have happened in MTV had never come to Laguna Beach?
KC:Yeah…I mean, I was going to go to Emerson in Boston and study Broadcast Journalism. I really wanted to get into the whole hosting thing. My life would be definitely different though.

MTV Canada is currently looking to make its own reality show: any suggestions for people who want to enter?
KC: Is that why everybody is Tweeting me??! I heard that MTV is trying to do another Hills, but a little bit younger. Maybe I’d watch like a camp reality show. Like the high school kids go to camp for the summer.

What are your fans reactions when you come to Canada
KC:When I do The After Show they are just so excited. They love it.

You were here to present an award at the MMVAs. Was there anyone you were excited to see?
KC: Justin Bieber was great. But I spelt his name wrong on Twitter and his fans went crazy. But I get it now. He’s teeny tiny and has the most beautiful eyes. He’s a total stud.

So what is next for you now?
KC: I’m going to start producing reality shows. Similar to The Hills–I have three different ideas I’m working. I think I’ve learned a lot being on The Hills and I want to apply it and make new shows. And I want to get back to acting, take some classes and start auditioning again.

The Hills airs Tuesday nights on MTV Canada

I’ll be honest: I’ve been wanting to talk about MTV Canada’s 1 Girl 5 Gays for some time. I’ve been struggling with how to talk about it without annoying somebody, somewhere, and so I’ve simply decided to just say what I’ve been thinking and then duck and take cover.

If you’ve never heard of the show, you can watch it Fridays on MTV Canada (or, inevitably, you can watch it online as well. It’s basically The View, but with Aliya-Jasmine as the moderator of five funny, honest, and sometimes brutally mean gay men as they contemplate twenty questions about love and sex.

This show is not for the faint of heart. The guys are sometimes shockingly open about their personal lives, and while it’s refreshing to have something so honest on air, I sometimes feel it’s over-the-top. Of course, some of these guys are trying to make a name for themselves: they live in Toronto, where apparently everyone wants to be an actor. Usually Aliya-Jasmine’s face mirrors what the audience is thinking: Where the hell did we find these guys?! I mean that in a good way.

Aliya-Jasmine is a pro as the moderator. She blushes, gushes, and shrieks, yet is able to turn around to ask the tough questions. When she gets serious, she has masterful control of the room.

I‘m assuming that at some point during the show’s development, someone asked how 1 Girl 5 Gays would affect the gay community. And honestly, I’m still not sure what it does. In some respects it’s great for the show’s male characters to have this outlet to talk about their lives and their opinions. But are they also being turned into a spectacle for the audience’s amusement? For example, many of the guys talk openly and honestly about their promiscuity. When panelist Juan was asked to describe the last guy he’d slept with, the best answer he could come up with was: “White”?  While everyone else around him burst into laughter, I wondered what sort of example this was setting for the audience watching–many of whom are probably coming to terms with their own sexuality.

I’ve honestly asked myself dozens of times: does a show like 1 Girl 5 Gays condone or educate viewers about the issue of promiscuity in the gay community? I guess I don’t understand the point of asking five gay men, in front of a national television audience, if they like having another man play with their balls, (which was a question in this weeks episode.) If it’s because people are generally curious, fine. But if it’s because producers know they’ll get a funny “gay answer” then it’s something completely different.

And that’s not to say the show is all about being gay. This week’s episode featured great questions like “describe your relationship with God,” “would you donate your organs in the event of an unexpected death?” and “name someone that has made you cry.” To me, those are great questions that promote insightful discussion.

The closest thing Canada has ever had to a show like this was Sex, Toys and Chocolate, which aired on the Life Network (now Slice).  It featured straight boys and girls talking about their sex lives in an open and honest fashion. But I don’t remember the questions being as personal. Maybe it’s just a sign of these modern times.

In the end (no pun intended), I’m happy this show is on television. I watch it every week and I think it’s important that we have access to its open and honest answers. It invokes conversation and usually lots of laughter.

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Who knew Oprah was so cool?

On Wednesday she had the entire cast of Glee and today she’ll feature the four guys from MTV’s The Buried Life!

The Canadian boys from the MTV’s hit series will be on today talking about the success of the series, the buzz it has created across the globe, and reveal a few surprises with Oprah they have been keeping under lock and key.

I’ve always been annoyed with The Buried Life because it a show that we’ve all thought about a million times but never followed through on. Probably because it would scare most of us shitless. You should understand that when I say “annoyed”, I actually mean crushingly jealous.

Either way, congrats to Dave, Ben, Duncan & Jonnie to being on Oprah. I guess that is pretty cool. Jealous and exuberant sigh.

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Dear MTV LIVE,

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Cograts are in order for one of my favourite MTV Canada personalties, Sharlene Chiu!

The MTV News reporter was presented the Best Broadcast VisitBritain Travel Journalism Award for 2009!!!! I know that award sounds made up, but it is not. I checked!

The judges awarded Chiu for her work on MTV NEWS POUNDS BRITAIN, which they felt encouraged travellers of tomorrow and offered a different perspective on both traditional and newer city destinations.

MTV NEWS POUNDS BRITAIN was a special that aired in November and December 2009 which followed Chiu as she experienced the UK firsthand through the eyes of up and coming musicians. From Manchester to Sheffield and Leeds, over to Glasgow and ending in London, Chiu travelled with Glasvegas, Wild Beasts, The Crookes, The Big Pink and Speech Debelle.